Tony Sipp

A strong spring wasn't enough for Sipp to earn a spot on the Padres' Opening Day roster, but after San Diego granted his release in May, Houston quickly swooped in and signed him to a major league con...

Sipp pitched 1.1 innings Monday before being moved to right field so fellow reliever Jerome Williams could face right-handed batter Paul Goldschmidt. He then came back to the mound to face Miguel Montero, pitching 1.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and one walk against the Diamondbacks.

Sipp failed to handle the role of effective lefty out of the Arizona bullpen last season after providing the Indians with a viable option in that role in 2011 and 2012. His fastball velocity slipped for the third straight season, but a strikeout-per-inning lefty seldom has a difficult time finding works. Regardless of where he lands, Sipp figures to be used mostly as a left-handed specialist in 2014.

2013

Sipp took a small step back in his first season as the Indians' primary setup man from the left side and his struggles with the long ball will always inflate his ERA. Included as part of the deal that sent Trevor Bauer to Cleveland, Sipp will work as the primary lefty in the bridge to J.J. Putz in Arizona this season. It will be interesting to see how well his skill set translates with the move into hitter-friendly Chase Field, as his extreme flyball tendencies have made him vulnerable to the long ball over the last three seasons.

2012

Sipp worked his way into a setup role with the diminishing effectiveness of fellow southpaw Rafael Perez and combined with Vinnie Pestano to give the Indians a solid lefty-righty combination in front of closer Chris Perez. He doesn't have the platoon splits that pigeonhole many southpaws into a strict matchup situation as he's very effective at neutralizing right-handed batters as well. Expect another fine season out of Sipp in the Cleveland bullpen and bump him up a few notches if your league rewards holds.

2011

Sipp's overall numbers last season were skewed by a couple of horrific appearances (nine earned runs in one inning) but he's working his way into a setup role from the left side, especially if Rafael Perez continues to struggle. Sipp is not going to wrestle the closer job away from Chris Perez, but could make for a nice staff filler in deeper formats in leagues that count strikeouts.

2010

Sipp made three separate stints in Cleveland, posting a 1.300 WHIP and a 2.92 ERA in 40 innings. He had some control issues with the Indians, but it's never been a huge issue (3.1 BB/9IP in 270 minor-league innings) in his past so we'll chalk it up to some nervousness as walked eight men in his first 6.1 innings. He'll give the Indians another effective southpaw out of the bullpen behind Rafael Perez, but doesn't seem to offer much fantasy value in a middle-relief role.

2009

Sipp was on the verge of earning a spot with the Indians early in 2007 before an elbow injury wiped out his chances, and ultimately his season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He made it back in time for 16 appearances at Double-A where he walked just seven and fanned 32 batters in 21.2 innings. It remains to be seen how much of his fastball and plus-slider were left on the operating table but the early returns are positive. The Indians could give him a meaningful look this spring if they're aggressive in their recovery timeline.

2008

Sipp came down with a sore elbow in spring training, was shut down until midseason, before suffering a setback and undergoing Tommy John surgery in July. He's expected to miss all of 2008 and it remains to be seen how much of his fastball and devasting slider will remain on the operating table. A late-inning option from the left side when healthy, he's got a better chance to come back now than he would have 10 years ago and still make a career out of throwing a baseball.

2007

A lefty with power stuff, Sipp dominated Double-A in 2006, striking out almost 12 batters per nine innings pitched. Sipp could break camp with Cleveland as their power left-hander out of the pen and his future may be as a closer, ala Billy Wagner. Should he stay in Triple-A to begin the season, sit back and enjoy the show.

2006

A 46th-rounder in 2004, Sipp has dominated three separate Single-A divisions in two years. A combo pitcher/outfielder at Clemson, the full-time work as a pitcher seems to be helping him learn the craft, although a shift from starting to the pen didn't work as well in the transition from Lake County to Kinston. The Cleveland system's lack of quality lefties and Sipp's performance thus far could get him more than a sip of coffee in Cleveland very soon.

2004

Sipp, the 45th round pick in 2004 out of Clemson, could have been a centerfielder because of his solid defensive work, athleticism, and quick bat in college, but the Indians view him as a pitcher. He’s only five-foot-11 but throws in the low 90s with two emerging secondary pitches in a power slider and splitter. He’s a college player but not overly polished as a pitcher. Low round picks tend to be quickly-signed and he should spend the remainder of 2004 in Short-Season as the organization determines if his high college K-rate is convertible to the pros.